Ray Fraser's Blog - Posts Tagged "tarot"
My Spiritual Path Part 7
My spiritual Path Part 7
Idle discussions complete, I took the Tarot cards from their box and sat them on the table. I felt a change in the energy in the room as soon as they touched the table. It was as though a soft breeze was blowing through the room, but there was no source for the breeze. I looked at Barb, she was looking at me with uncertainty.
“What?” she asked
“Nothing, I answered. “Do you feel it?”
“Yes, what is it?” she answered.
“I have no clue, but I think we’re going to find out.”
My decision to undertake this adventure without experienced help suddenly seemed like a less than intelligent choice. However, we were here and Chad and Linda had high hopes for us. So, what’s that they say, the only thing we had to fear was fear itself. In the same way that I had received the information in the ESP seminar, the picture of a young man came into my mind. I removed the Page of Wands from the deck to represent the spirit during my Tarot reading and began shuffling the cards. It was my hope that by laying the cards, we might receive a clue as to who the spirit was, and why he was here. At the moment, it hadn’t dawned on me that I had no plans of what to do if any clues were revealed. Full speed ahead.
I turned the first card over and laid it across the representative card.
“Boom.”
Everyone at the table jumped. I jumped and almost dropped the cards.
“It’s him,” Chad said. “He’s banging on the furnace pipes.”
I laid a second card.
“Boom.”
This time I didn’t jump.
Linda wore a very solemn look, Barb chuckled nervously. Chills ran through my body. I thought, now you’ve done it. I wished that I had done more research on ghosts and spirits, but at that time in our world there was not yet internet, so research would have been time-consuming and laborious. I pressed on, laying the third card.
“Boom.”
“Who are you?”
“Boom.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Boom.”
It was obvious that whoever was hitting the pipes could hear and understand me.
“Can we go in the basement?” I asked.
“We could,” Chad answered. “Are you sure you want to?”
“Sure, why not?”
We rose and made our way to the basement door.
The house having been built in the 1920’s had what is called a Michigan basement. This meant that the basement was only about 5 feet tall, with a concrete pad in the center which held the furnace, water heater, or other equipment essential to make the home habitable. Around the concrete pad, there was large stone gravel which covered the floor from the pad to the foundation walls. We sat on the steps, Chad and Linda sat on the stair in front of Barb and I. All of us were facing the furnace. The furnace was an older coal-fired furnace which had been converted to burn oil. To my left around the foundation, in the corner, was a cistern. Things were quiet, so I was emboldened.
“Why are you bothering these people?”
“Boom.”
The sound was much louder in the basement. One of the pipes ran along the basement ceiling right next to the stairs. I placed my hand on the pipe.
“Boom.”
I snatched my hand away. The sound was loud and was obviously coming from the pipe, but there was no vibration from the pipe.
“How can we help you?”
I noticed that the furnace had been turning on and off every few minutes.
“Does it always do that?” I asked.
“Not until today,” Chad answered.
“You have got to tell us what you want us to do.”
The booming had stopped and the furnace stayed lit. I breathed a sigh of relief. As I did, the sump pump turned on. Chad started reciting the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ Linda was rocking slowly as she sat.
“It’s only the sump pump Chad.” I offered.
“I know, but that pump hasn’t worked in two years.”
I felt as though I had the wind knocked out of me. We sat quietly for a few minutes. My mind raced to try and plan our next move.
Next blog – Now things get interesting.
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Idle discussions complete, I took the Tarot cards from their box and sat them on the table. I felt a change in the energy in the room as soon as they touched the table. It was as though a soft breeze was blowing through the room, but there was no source for the breeze. I looked at Barb, she was looking at me with uncertainty.
“What?” she asked
“Nothing, I answered. “Do you feel it?”
“Yes, what is it?” she answered.
“I have no clue, but I think we’re going to find out.”
My decision to undertake this adventure without experienced help suddenly seemed like a less than intelligent choice. However, we were here and Chad and Linda had high hopes for us. So, what’s that they say, the only thing we had to fear was fear itself. In the same way that I had received the information in the ESP seminar, the picture of a young man came into my mind. I removed the Page of Wands from the deck to represent the spirit during my Tarot reading and began shuffling the cards. It was my hope that by laying the cards, we might receive a clue as to who the spirit was, and why he was here. At the moment, it hadn’t dawned on me that I had no plans of what to do if any clues were revealed. Full speed ahead.
I turned the first card over and laid it across the representative card.
“Boom.”
Everyone at the table jumped. I jumped and almost dropped the cards.
“It’s him,” Chad said. “He’s banging on the furnace pipes.”
I laid a second card.
“Boom.”
This time I didn’t jump.
Linda wore a very solemn look, Barb chuckled nervously. Chills ran through my body. I thought, now you’ve done it. I wished that I had done more research on ghosts and spirits, but at that time in our world there was not yet internet, so research would have been time-consuming and laborious. I pressed on, laying the third card.
“Boom.”
“Who are you?”
“Boom.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Boom.”
It was obvious that whoever was hitting the pipes could hear and understand me.
“Can we go in the basement?” I asked.
“We could,” Chad answered. “Are you sure you want to?”
“Sure, why not?”
We rose and made our way to the basement door.
The house having been built in the 1920’s had what is called a Michigan basement. This meant that the basement was only about 5 feet tall, with a concrete pad in the center which held the furnace, water heater, or other equipment essential to make the home habitable. Around the concrete pad, there was large stone gravel which covered the floor from the pad to the foundation walls. We sat on the steps, Chad and Linda sat on the stair in front of Barb and I. All of us were facing the furnace. The furnace was an older coal-fired furnace which had been converted to burn oil. To my left around the foundation, in the corner, was a cistern. Things were quiet, so I was emboldened.
“Why are you bothering these people?”
“Boom.”
The sound was much louder in the basement. One of the pipes ran along the basement ceiling right next to the stairs. I placed my hand on the pipe.
“Boom.”
I snatched my hand away. The sound was loud and was obviously coming from the pipe, but there was no vibration from the pipe.
“How can we help you?”
I noticed that the furnace had been turning on and off every few minutes.
“Does it always do that?” I asked.
“Not until today,” Chad answered.
“You have got to tell us what you want us to do.”
The booming had stopped and the furnace stayed lit. I breathed a sigh of relief. As I did, the sump pump turned on. Chad started reciting the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ Linda was rocking slowly as she sat.
“It’s only the sump pump Chad.” I offered.
“I know, but that pump hasn’t worked in two years.”
I felt as though I had the wind knocked out of me. We sat quietly for a few minutes. My mind raced to try and plan our next move.
Next blog – Now things get interesting.
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My Spiritual Path - Part 8
My Spiritual Path Part 8
The tension in the air as we sat on the stairs was indescribable. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck and my throat was dry.
“Why are you bothering these people?”
Silence, dead silence, no pun intended.
“Who are you? Can you give us a clue?”
I was fast running out of questions. Just when I thought we were finished, I heard a noise which sounded like something heavy was being dragged across the gravel floor in the direction of the cistern.
Barb spoke for the first time “Anyone else hear that?” All of us acknowledged that we had.
“What do you think is happening?” Barb asked.
I had heard enough for one sitting.
“I have no idea, but I’m ready to go back upstairs.”
I Stood and turned, scaling the few steps back to the basement door. Everyone followed. Once we returned to the dining room with the door securely closed behind us, I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
I returned to my seat and picked up the Tarot cards, placing them back in a deck.
“Anyone have any ideas?”
No one answered, so I took the lead.
“Yeah, me neither. Let’s see if he’s still with us.”
I again laid the Page of Wands.
“Boom”
“It’s obvious that the spirit can see, hear and understand us, so I think we need to develop a code to communicate with it.”
“Boom.”
“OK spirit. One bang on the pipes for ‘yes’ two bangs for ‘no’ got it?
“Boom.”
I was excited. Now, we’re getting somewhere I thought.
“Are you a male?”
“Boom.” Even before I finished the question.
I turned over the next card it was the ‘Lovers.’
“Were you killed in this house?”
“Boom.”
“Were you killed because of a relationship?”
“Boom.”
“Was it a love relationship?”
“Boom.”
I had an ESP style impression.
“Were you in a relationship with a woman in this house?”
“Boom.”
“Was she married to someone else?”
Nothing, not a sound. I looked at my hosts. They shrugged.
“Sounds like you hit a nerve,’ Chad said.
“So, it seems. Are you still with us?”
“Boom.”
“Were you having an extramarital affair with the woman of the house?”
The booms started coming one after the other, louder and louder until it sounded like someone playing the drums. The noise was so loud, that I wanted to leave this session and regroup.
I asked my hosts, “Is there someplace quiet that we can talk?”
“The deck,” Chad shouted over the noise.
We made our way onto the outside deck which overhung the water. When the sliding door was closed, it became extremely quiet. It was the first time I realized that I had been shouting to be heard, inside the house.
The rain had stopped and the moon, which was full, was peeking from behind the vanishing rainclouds causing a brilliant sparkle from nearby tree limbs and other ice-covered objects. Mother Nature sure had a way of turning dismal weather into a scenic masterpiece. A breeze was blowing off the frozen lake and with the temperature being only 15 degrees, it wasn’t long before we were all freezing our tails off.
“I’m gonna do some research.” I offered.
“You will come back, won’t you?” Linda asked
Inside the house, the noise droned on, loud and uninterrupted. I nodded my head toward the house.
“If you want me to.”
“He’ll stop eventually, he always does,” Chad offered.
I looked at Barb, she nodded.
“Yes, we’ll be back,” I answered. “Now, I hate to be a party pooper, but I’m freezing. Can we go inside?”
We decided that I would call and arrange another meeting when I had done some research.
There was no interruption to the noise. We donned our coats preparing to leave and headed for the front door. As we passed the door to the basement, I took a chance and opened the door. The volume level increased substantially. I yelled into the basement “If you want us to help you we will, but in the meantime, you’ve gotta knock this stuff off.
I shut the door firmly and the noise stopped, almost instantly. We could have heard each other whisper
Next Blog – Knowledge and facts to the rescue
If you like my blogs, please follow me on goodreads.com/ray_fraser or on my website at mystiqueswest.net
The tension in the air as we sat on the stairs was indescribable. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck and my throat was dry.
“Why are you bothering these people?”
Silence, dead silence, no pun intended.
“Who are you? Can you give us a clue?”
I was fast running out of questions. Just when I thought we were finished, I heard a noise which sounded like something heavy was being dragged across the gravel floor in the direction of the cistern.
Barb spoke for the first time “Anyone else hear that?” All of us acknowledged that we had.
“What do you think is happening?” Barb asked.
I had heard enough for one sitting.
“I have no idea, but I’m ready to go back upstairs.”
I Stood and turned, scaling the few steps back to the basement door. Everyone followed. Once we returned to the dining room with the door securely closed behind us, I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
I returned to my seat and picked up the Tarot cards, placing them back in a deck.
“Anyone have any ideas?”
No one answered, so I took the lead.
“Yeah, me neither. Let’s see if he’s still with us.”
I again laid the Page of Wands.
“Boom”
“It’s obvious that the spirit can see, hear and understand us, so I think we need to develop a code to communicate with it.”
“Boom.”
“OK spirit. One bang on the pipes for ‘yes’ two bangs for ‘no’ got it?
“Boom.”
I was excited. Now, we’re getting somewhere I thought.
“Are you a male?”
“Boom.” Even before I finished the question.
I turned over the next card it was the ‘Lovers.’
“Were you killed in this house?”
“Boom.”
“Were you killed because of a relationship?”
“Boom.”
“Was it a love relationship?”
“Boom.”
I had an ESP style impression.
“Were you in a relationship with a woman in this house?”
“Boom.”
“Was she married to someone else?”
Nothing, not a sound. I looked at my hosts. They shrugged.
“Sounds like you hit a nerve,’ Chad said.
“So, it seems. Are you still with us?”
“Boom.”
“Were you having an extramarital affair with the woman of the house?”
The booms started coming one after the other, louder and louder until it sounded like someone playing the drums. The noise was so loud, that I wanted to leave this session and regroup.
I asked my hosts, “Is there someplace quiet that we can talk?”
“The deck,” Chad shouted over the noise.
We made our way onto the outside deck which overhung the water. When the sliding door was closed, it became extremely quiet. It was the first time I realized that I had been shouting to be heard, inside the house.
The rain had stopped and the moon, which was full, was peeking from behind the vanishing rainclouds causing a brilliant sparkle from nearby tree limbs and other ice-covered objects. Mother Nature sure had a way of turning dismal weather into a scenic masterpiece. A breeze was blowing off the frozen lake and with the temperature being only 15 degrees, it wasn’t long before we were all freezing our tails off.
“I’m gonna do some research.” I offered.
“You will come back, won’t you?” Linda asked
Inside the house, the noise droned on, loud and uninterrupted. I nodded my head toward the house.
“If you want me to.”
“He’ll stop eventually, he always does,” Chad offered.
I looked at Barb, she nodded.
“Yes, we’ll be back,” I answered. “Now, I hate to be a party pooper, but I’m freezing. Can we go inside?”
We decided that I would call and arrange another meeting when I had done some research.
There was no interruption to the noise. We donned our coats preparing to leave and headed for the front door. As we passed the door to the basement, I took a chance and opened the door. The volume level increased substantially. I yelled into the basement “If you want us to help you we will, but in the meantime, you’ve gotta knock this stuff off.
I shut the door firmly and the noise stopped, almost instantly. We could have heard each other whisper
Next Blog – Knowledge and facts to the rescue
If you like my blogs, please follow me on goodreads.com/ray_fraser or on my website at mystiqueswest.net
My Spiritual Path - Part 9
My Spiritual Path – Part 9
I told the householders that I would do some research and get back to them and I was sincere. But in
the 1970’s, society had not advanced to the level of acceptance which we enjoy today. I first went to the library. I could find nothing. I asked the librarian, she directed me to the occult section, there were perhaps
10 books. Most of which were religious challenges that said that communication with deceased spirits was a sin. I was still active in the church and didn’t feel sinful, rather I was exhilarated at the thought of helping both the family and the spirit find peace. I did pray for guidance but received no real direction. Perhaps God wanted me to figure this one out on my own. Things were changing…fast. Barb was promoted and moved to a different state. I on the other hand finally decided to make my life easier and moved to Jackson to be closer to work. It was this move that took me to the next step. I secured a
nice apartment near my office. One day, after work, I invited a friend and co-worker to see my apartment. He lived in Lansing and was also considering a move. As we entered the apartment building
I noticed a woman, hands filled with grocery bags walking rapidly towards the door. I held it open. As she was walking I was telling my friend about the haunted house. The woman overheard our conversation and stopped right in the threshold of the door.
“You’ve been to a real haunted house?” She asked
“Yes,” I answered, at least I think it was real. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m a spirit medium. We are all about spirits. I would love to hear about it if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, I’m Ray, I’m in 203, come down if you’d like.”
“I’m Jackie, I’m in 403. I’ll put my groceries away and come down.”
Jackie disappeared up the stairway, I showed my friend around the apartment. We had just taken a seat when I heard a soft knock at the door, it was Jackie.
“Tell me about the house.”
I spent the next half hour explaining what we experienced at the house. My friend looked at me like I was losing my mind. Jackie seemed to have an endless supply of questions. Most of which I wasn’t sure I had the answers to. Now, I had questions for Jackie.
“What is a spirit medium?”
Jackie chuckled, “We are people who have the ability to communicate with spirits in the higher side of life.
“What is the higher side of life?”
“The spirit world.” She answered, “Where we all go when we die.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that you talk to dead people?”
“Correct,” she answered.
“How did you learn how to do that?” I asked.
Jackie threw me a curve. “I sit in a development séance circle every Wednesday.”
“And they teach you?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful. Would you like to come sometime?”
Well, THAT was the $64,000 question. I wasn’t even sure what a séance was, but what did I have to lose?
“Sure,” I said. not certain what I was getting myself in to.
Jackie was excited. “Good. I’ll check with the group on Wednesday and let you know.”
I hadn’t talked to Chad and Linda in several weeks.
I called them with apologies and gave them an update.
They were happy that I was now living closer and that I had made contact with a knowledgeable source.
I promised that I would call again after I heard back from Jackie.
Thursday evening I returned home from work to find a note taped to my door. It was from Jackie.
I read the note. “Ray, sorry, I checked with the group. They say the group is presently full and cannot accept any new members at this time. They will be re-forming in October. If you are still interested, you can join then.” It was signed Jackie.
I laughed to myself. “Well, so what? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was only April, October was a long time in the future. I didn’t think I would still be interested in 6 months. So, I put the thought out of my mind. The following Thursday, I returned from work to find a new note taped in the same spot on my door. It was also from Jackie. I opened the note.
“Good news. Someone had to leave the circle. If you still want to come, you can start next week.”
I walked to the fourth floor and knocked on Jackie’s door. She answered quickly and invited me in.
“Look, I’m intrigued by the offer, but I know nothing about any of this stuff. What am I getting myself into?”
Jackie was gentle with me. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. These are normal people, just like us. I promise, you are going to love it,” she began.
She explained the basic premise of the séance and gave directions to the house where it was being held.
I was excited at the opportunity, but I also had mild feelings of guilt. The orthodox religious teachings were still with me.
If you like my blog, please follow meon this sitr or at mystiqueswest.net
Next blog – The séance.
I told the householders that I would do some research and get back to them and I was sincere. But in
the 1970’s, society had not advanced to the level of acceptance which we enjoy today. I first went to the library. I could find nothing. I asked the librarian, she directed me to the occult section, there were perhaps
10 books. Most of which were religious challenges that said that communication with deceased spirits was a sin. I was still active in the church and didn’t feel sinful, rather I was exhilarated at the thought of helping both the family and the spirit find peace. I did pray for guidance but received no real direction. Perhaps God wanted me to figure this one out on my own. Things were changing…fast. Barb was promoted and moved to a different state. I on the other hand finally decided to make my life easier and moved to Jackson to be closer to work. It was this move that took me to the next step. I secured a
nice apartment near my office. One day, after work, I invited a friend and co-worker to see my apartment. He lived in Lansing and was also considering a move. As we entered the apartment building
I noticed a woman, hands filled with grocery bags walking rapidly towards the door. I held it open. As she was walking I was telling my friend about the haunted house. The woman overheard our conversation and stopped right in the threshold of the door.
“You’ve been to a real haunted house?” She asked
“Yes,” I answered, at least I think it was real. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m a spirit medium. We are all about spirits. I would love to hear about it if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, I’m Ray, I’m in 203, come down if you’d like.”
“I’m Jackie, I’m in 403. I’ll put my groceries away and come down.”
Jackie disappeared up the stairway, I showed my friend around the apartment. We had just taken a seat when I heard a soft knock at the door, it was Jackie.
“Tell me about the house.”
I spent the next half hour explaining what we experienced at the house. My friend looked at me like I was losing my mind. Jackie seemed to have an endless supply of questions. Most of which I wasn’t sure I had the answers to. Now, I had questions for Jackie.
“What is a spirit medium?”
Jackie chuckled, “We are people who have the ability to communicate with spirits in the higher side of life.
“What is the higher side of life?”
“The spirit world.” She answered, “Where we all go when we die.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that you talk to dead people?”
“Correct,” she answered.
“How did you learn how to do that?” I asked.
Jackie threw me a curve. “I sit in a development séance circle every Wednesday.”
“And they teach you?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful. Would you like to come sometime?”
Well, THAT was the $64,000 question. I wasn’t even sure what a séance was, but what did I have to lose?
“Sure,” I said. not certain what I was getting myself in to.
Jackie was excited. “Good. I’ll check with the group on Wednesday and let you know.”
I hadn’t talked to Chad and Linda in several weeks.
I called them with apologies and gave them an update.
They were happy that I was now living closer and that I had made contact with a knowledgeable source.
I promised that I would call again after I heard back from Jackie.
Thursday evening I returned home from work to find a note taped to my door. It was from Jackie.
I read the note. “Ray, sorry, I checked with the group. They say the group is presently full and cannot accept any new members at this time. They will be re-forming in October. If you are still interested, you can join then.” It was signed Jackie.
I laughed to myself. “Well, so what? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was only April, October was a long time in the future. I didn’t think I would still be interested in 6 months. So, I put the thought out of my mind. The following Thursday, I returned from work to find a new note taped in the same spot on my door. It was also from Jackie. I opened the note.
“Good news. Someone had to leave the circle. If you still want to come, you can start next week.”
I walked to the fourth floor and knocked on Jackie’s door. She answered quickly and invited me in.
“Look, I’m intrigued by the offer, but I know nothing about any of this stuff. What am I getting myself into?”
Jackie was gentle with me. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. These are normal people, just like us. I promise, you are going to love it,” she began.
She explained the basic premise of the séance and gave directions to the house where it was being held.
I was excited at the opportunity, but I also had mild feelings of guilt. The orthodox religious teachings were still with me.
If you like my blog, please follow meon this sitr or at mystiqueswest.net
Next blog – The séance.
My Spiritual Path Part 10
Time passed quickly and before I knew it I was driving out to East Jackson for my first experience in a seance, so help me God.
I turned on to East Boulevard and drove for approximately 2 miles. In Jackson, that distance from the main road puts you in the boonies. I momentarily considered turning around, but then, I was still young and brave, nothing ventured, nothing gained, I pressed on. After another quarter of a mile, I came upon a small yellow bungalow with several cars parked nearby. I checked the address on the mailbox. I had arrived. Looking to my left and right I noticed that the next closest house on either side was several hundred yards from this one. We were in the sticks.
The inside front door to the house was open, so I headed in that direction. As I neared the small porch of the house the screen door swung open and an attractive middle-aged woman greeted me.
“You must be Ray, Welcome.”
“Thanks for having me. “I answered.
“Glad to see you could make it.” Sandy said from inside the house.
It was greeting and meeting time. The lady who met me at the door was Betty, her husband Ray reminded me of my dad, then there Was Gary, an elementary school principal, His wife Kathy, an older woman whom I immediately liked named Norma, and then Jeanie and Doug a middle-aged couple. What the heck was going on? I was the youngest person there by a long shot, and everyone seemed so normal. Doug had retired from Consumer’s Energy, Ray was a retired police officer. Jeanie was a retired paralegal from a law firm that was one of my IBM accounts. In all, they were everyone’s mom and dad, Grandma or grandpa or coworkers. Where were the weird folks I had envisioned?
People were taking their seats in the circle of straight-back chairs that circled the living room of the house.
“Norma is the séance leader,” Sandy said. We alternate male, female starting at her right. I Took a seat between Betty and Kathy. Everyone was taking off their shoes and placing them under their chairs. I followed suit. The question on my face must have been obvious Sandy leaned over.
“It’s to get a better grounding.”
I nodded like I understood exactly what she was saying, though I honestly didn’t have a clue. Thank God for clean socks.
Everyone scooted around a bit in their chairs trying to get comfortable. Betty came in with a tray full of glasses filled with water, each person took one so I did, too. I took a sip from my glass and looked for a place to set it.
“No, don’t drink it now, place it under your chair and drink it afterward.” Sandy said “The spirit energy will ionize the water and it will refresh you.” I found a place under my chair next to my shoes and placed the glass there. Everyone else did likewise and soon we were all sitting comfortably waiting for the show to begin. I was suddenly very cold though the temperature was warm. Betty turned the lights off and the room became as black as night. I literally couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I began to get nervous.
“Let’s all say our prayers,” Norma began. She recited a prayer thanking spirit for guiding their group and asked a blessing on the ‘service” which I assumed she meant the séance. One my one each person in counter-clockwise fashion, asked a blessing on themselves, others, and the “Service.”
I followed Norma’s lead and thanked spirit whomever that was for guiding me to the group and asked a blessing on myself and the service. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, I felt better after saying my prayers. When everyone was finished, we simply sat there, and I mean sat there, not doing or saying anything for what seemed to be an eternity but was really only about 5 minutes. I had kept my eyes closed but during this brief break, I opened them. It was darker than I remembered. What next? I wondered.
Almost on cue, Norma began talking about people, “I Call Doctor, Watson, Lillian Glazer all of my guides and any other spirits of truth or light that may wish to be recognized. ” When it came to my turn to call, I asked for my deceased brother Jim, my friend, Fred Kansik, and the spirit of the man at the house. It pleased me when Kathy asked softly “Have you sat in séance before?” she seemed surprised that I had not. Cha Ching, I must be doing something right, I thought.
Without further conversation, Norma began singing the Christian Hymn, “In the Garden.” Everyone joined in. This hymn was one of my favorites and I knew the words well. I joined in. We began singing the second verse. About halfway through, Norma coughed a deep cough, cleared her throat loudly and sat straight up in her chair.
“Good evening Friends, this is Doctor Watson. I say welcome to our guest, and hope that you will become a member of our group.”
OK Howdy Doody, who the heck was Doctor Watson? Why was Norma talking? Funny, I thought. I hadn’t heard her talk much, but the voice didn’t sound much like her. This voice was deep and raspy.
Doctor Watson talked on for perhaps 15 minutes about world affairs and things we could expect to see in the next few weeks. Finally, he cleared his throat again and said, “Until we meet again.”
Betty rose and walked down a nearby hall where she turned on a light which only reflected a soft light into the living-room. Norma stirred and leaned forward. Betty Reached under Norma’s chair and handed her the water glass. Norma drank deeply, draining the glass.
I followed everyone’s lead. The water tasted funny but good. I drank it all and as promised I did feel better.
I replaced my shoes like everyone else and prepared to leave.
“Got time for coffee?” It was Norma.
“If you’re going, I’ll be there. I have some questions.”
“I’ll bet you do,’ Norma said with a laugh. “Meet us at the Clock.”
The Clock Restaurant was back down East Boulevard at Michigan Avenue
“I’ll see you there,” I said, bidding my adieus to Betty and Ray for having me, and then headed to the Clock.
The Clock Restaurant was a traditional family-style restaurant, with breakfast served 24 hours a day and reasonable pricing. I took a seat at the head of a ’large-group’ table and waited for the others to arrive.
When everyone arrived, Norma took a seat to my right, laughing and talking, and breaking out a smoke. She lit her cigarette, blew out the match and apologized.
“Hope it doesn’t bother you, It’s my one real weakness.
The truth be told, I hated cigarette smoke. I’m a reformed smoker, and I understood her addiction.
“It’ll be alright,” I answered.
Norma took a deep drag and held it for a long time before slowly exhaling, she then snuffed out the cigarette and ordered coffee and pie.
A bit of dessert sounded like a good idea, so I ordered coffee and carrot cake.
“Nice to have you with us tonight. What did you think?”
I shrugged. “I guess I didn’t understand it enough to have an opinion. I did enjoy it. It seems like something I’m supposed to do.”
Norma laughed. “Oh, you’re supposed to do it, alright. You don’t choose it. It chooses you.’
“So, who’s Doctor Watson?”
Norma explained that Doctor Watson was one of her spirit guides and was her trance control meaning that when she went into trance, Doctor Watson would use her body, or physical instrument as she called it, to communicate spiritual insights to the members of the group.
The cake and pie were gone, there had been several fill-ups on the coffee, and I felt like had the slightest inkling of an understanding of what had just taken place. Norma was patient and answered many of my questions. I wondered how something like this could have existed on the planet for so long, and in spite of my extensive research into religion, I had never heard of it.
“So how do I get rid of the spirit in the house?”
“Simply ask it to leave. Offer reassurance that you will continue to investigate and promise that you will call for him when you have something concrete to report.
“That’s it? It’s as easy as that?”
“It is. If you have any problems give me a call. Don’t let it lay. Any info you can offer him will speed his departure.”
Well. Saints be praised, I thought. As soon as I got home, I called Linda.
I turned on to East Boulevard and drove for approximately 2 miles. In Jackson, that distance from the main road puts you in the boonies. I momentarily considered turning around, but then, I was still young and brave, nothing ventured, nothing gained, I pressed on. After another quarter of a mile, I came upon a small yellow bungalow with several cars parked nearby. I checked the address on the mailbox. I had arrived. Looking to my left and right I noticed that the next closest house on either side was several hundred yards from this one. We were in the sticks.
The inside front door to the house was open, so I headed in that direction. As I neared the small porch of the house the screen door swung open and an attractive middle-aged woman greeted me.
“You must be Ray, Welcome.”
“Thanks for having me. “I answered.
“Glad to see you could make it.” Sandy said from inside the house.
It was greeting and meeting time. The lady who met me at the door was Betty, her husband Ray reminded me of my dad, then there Was Gary, an elementary school principal, His wife Kathy, an older woman whom I immediately liked named Norma, and then Jeanie and Doug a middle-aged couple. What the heck was going on? I was the youngest person there by a long shot, and everyone seemed so normal. Doug had retired from Consumer’s Energy, Ray was a retired police officer. Jeanie was a retired paralegal from a law firm that was one of my IBM accounts. In all, they were everyone’s mom and dad, Grandma or grandpa or coworkers. Where were the weird folks I had envisioned?
People were taking their seats in the circle of straight-back chairs that circled the living room of the house.
“Norma is the séance leader,” Sandy said. We alternate male, female starting at her right. I Took a seat between Betty and Kathy. Everyone was taking off their shoes and placing them under their chairs. I followed suit. The question on my face must have been obvious Sandy leaned over.
“It’s to get a better grounding.”
I nodded like I understood exactly what she was saying, though I honestly didn’t have a clue. Thank God for clean socks.
Everyone scooted around a bit in their chairs trying to get comfortable. Betty came in with a tray full of glasses filled with water, each person took one so I did, too. I took a sip from my glass and looked for a place to set it.
“No, don’t drink it now, place it under your chair and drink it afterward.” Sandy said “The spirit energy will ionize the water and it will refresh you.” I found a place under my chair next to my shoes and placed the glass there. Everyone else did likewise and soon we were all sitting comfortably waiting for the show to begin. I was suddenly very cold though the temperature was warm. Betty turned the lights off and the room became as black as night. I literally couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I began to get nervous.
“Let’s all say our prayers,” Norma began. She recited a prayer thanking spirit for guiding their group and asked a blessing on the ‘service” which I assumed she meant the séance. One my one each person in counter-clockwise fashion, asked a blessing on themselves, others, and the “Service.”
I followed Norma’s lead and thanked spirit whomever that was for guiding me to the group and asked a blessing on myself and the service. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, I felt better after saying my prayers. When everyone was finished, we simply sat there, and I mean sat there, not doing or saying anything for what seemed to be an eternity but was really only about 5 minutes. I had kept my eyes closed but during this brief break, I opened them. It was darker than I remembered. What next? I wondered.
Almost on cue, Norma began talking about people, “I Call Doctor, Watson, Lillian Glazer all of my guides and any other spirits of truth or light that may wish to be recognized. ” When it came to my turn to call, I asked for my deceased brother Jim, my friend, Fred Kansik, and the spirit of the man at the house. It pleased me when Kathy asked softly “Have you sat in séance before?” she seemed surprised that I had not. Cha Ching, I must be doing something right, I thought.
Without further conversation, Norma began singing the Christian Hymn, “In the Garden.” Everyone joined in. This hymn was one of my favorites and I knew the words well. I joined in. We began singing the second verse. About halfway through, Norma coughed a deep cough, cleared her throat loudly and sat straight up in her chair.
“Good evening Friends, this is Doctor Watson. I say welcome to our guest, and hope that you will become a member of our group.”
OK Howdy Doody, who the heck was Doctor Watson? Why was Norma talking? Funny, I thought. I hadn’t heard her talk much, but the voice didn’t sound much like her. This voice was deep and raspy.
Doctor Watson talked on for perhaps 15 minutes about world affairs and things we could expect to see in the next few weeks. Finally, he cleared his throat again and said, “Until we meet again.”
Betty rose and walked down a nearby hall where she turned on a light which only reflected a soft light into the living-room. Norma stirred and leaned forward. Betty Reached under Norma’s chair and handed her the water glass. Norma drank deeply, draining the glass.
I followed everyone’s lead. The water tasted funny but good. I drank it all and as promised I did feel better.
I replaced my shoes like everyone else and prepared to leave.
“Got time for coffee?” It was Norma.
“If you’re going, I’ll be there. I have some questions.”
“I’ll bet you do,’ Norma said with a laugh. “Meet us at the Clock.”
The Clock Restaurant was back down East Boulevard at Michigan Avenue
“I’ll see you there,” I said, bidding my adieus to Betty and Ray for having me, and then headed to the Clock.
The Clock Restaurant was a traditional family-style restaurant, with breakfast served 24 hours a day and reasonable pricing. I took a seat at the head of a ’large-group’ table and waited for the others to arrive.
When everyone arrived, Norma took a seat to my right, laughing and talking, and breaking out a smoke. She lit her cigarette, blew out the match and apologized.
“Hope it doesn’t bother you, It’s my one real weakness.
The truth be told, I hated cigarette smoke. I’m a reformed smoker, and I understood her addiction.
“It’ll be alright,” I answered.
Norma took a deep drag and held it for a long time before slowly exhaling, she then snuffed out the cigarette and ordered coffee and pie.
A bit of dessert sounded like a good idea, so I ordered coffee and carrot cake.
“Nice to have you with us tonight. What did you think?”
I shrugged. “I guess I didn’t understand it enough to have an opinion. I did enjoy it. It seems like something I’m supposed to do.”
Norma laughed. “Oh, you’re supposed to do it, alright. You don’t choose it. It chooses you.’
“So, who’s Doctor Watson?”
Norma explained that Doctor Watson was one of her spirit guides and was her trance control meaning that when she went into trance, Doctor Watson would use her body, or physical instrument as she called it, to communicate spiritual insights to the members of the group.
The cake and pie were gone, there had been several fill-ups on the coffee, and I felt like had the slightest inkling of an understanding of what had just taken place. Norma was patient and answered many of my questions. I wondered how something like this could have existed on the planet for so long, and in spite of my extensive research into religion, I had never heard of it.
“So how do I get rid of the spirit in the house?”
“Simply ask it to leave. Offer reassurance that you will continue to investigate and promise that you will call for him when you have something concrete to report.
“That’s it? It’s as easy as that?”
“It is. If you have any problems give me a call. Don’t let it lay. Any info you can offer him will speed his departure.”
Well. Saints be praised, I thought. As soon as I got home, I called Linda.
My Spiritual Path Part 11
Norma had suggested that I simply ask the spirit to leave and it would. I was confident that my hosts had asked/told it to leave many times. However, Norma was the “Pro” and if she said ask, then I was going to ask.
I had asked Linda to see if there were any completion photos of the house right after it was built. I had sketched up a drawing of how I thought it looked when it was originally constructed. Now that I had séance experience, I was far less timid about dealing with the invisible guest. I arranged to meet at the house three days later on Saturday.
I did bring my Tarot cards but buoyed by my spirit communication, I elected to fly this one solo without cards, using only my intuition to make contact. As soon as we were all seated, I acknowledged the spirit with two raps on the table top. To my pleasure, there were two soft raps on the basement door.
Linda brought a small manila envelope to the table. She pinched the flies and opened the flap. Inside were four pictures. They were old and creased. Each picture was of a different side of the house taken shortly after the house was completed. I had folded my sketches and placed them in my pants pocket. I unfolded the papers and flattened them out on the table. Picking up one of the photos, I compared it to my sketch. Now, I’m no architect but the pictures were very similar. I looked at Linda, she placed a second photo on the table. Pointing to the first she said. “This is the original construction photo taken after the house was built but, there was a fire and the whole side and the front had to be rebuilt.” She handed me the second photo and it showed the house as it stood today. Again, three soft taps on the basement door. Pieces were starting to fall together.
I spoke out loud “The family would very much appreciate it if you would leave the home.” Ooopppsss, wrong thing to ask. Three loud booms on the furnace pipes. Norma was not correct about this spirit. What was I to do? I asked, Linda, did you find out any information about the owners?”
“I did, the owners were two brothers, they were both killed in a car accident some years ago. One of the brothers was married, shortly after their death the wife sold the house and moved to the West coast. I talked to the neighbor who moved in down the street only a few weeks before the wife moved. As she told me, the wife was moving to get treatment for cancer, she wasn’t expected to live very long.
“Did you hear that?” I said out loud. Justice is being served. Linda laughed. “The neighbor also said she had heard that the wife was cheating on the husband with some young guy that worked for them, as the story is told, the husband was violently angry and threatened to kill the young guy. Other neighbors who were close to the family think that the wife and the brother were actually involved. The husband and wife were the talk of the neighborhood with their loud fights. Shortly after a big blow-up, the brother moved and the young guy wasn’t seen again. This statement was followed by three loud booms on the basement pipes.
I felt like a private investigator, because I thought I had solved the “crime.”
I looked at Chad and Linda. They were staring at me in disbelief.
“Did you have an affair with the wife?” Silence. “Do you know who was having an affair with her?”
Three soft but solid raps on the furnace pipes. Did the husband think you were having an affair with his wife?” Again, the raps on the pipes.
“Was the brother having the affair?” Three raps. “So, one of them killed you, is that right?” Three raps.
“Was it the husband?” Silence. “Was it the brother?” Rap, Rap, Rap.
“Well, they are both dead, and the wife is dead or dying. Did she ever tell her husband the truth?” Silence.
“So, she could have saved you if she had spoken up, Is that correct?” Rap, Rap, Rap.
I leaned back in my chair. Turning to face my hosts.
“Well, there you have it. The poor guy was falsely accused and murdered because the wife wouldn’t come clean. Maybe now he can find some peace.” Rap, Rap. Rap.
I went home and called Norma.
“How long have you been doing this?” she asked.
“You know it’s only been about six months,” I answered.
Norma let out a low laugh, “Then we are going to have to move up your training. You did an outstanding job. Norma asked that I relay my experiences to our séance group at our next meeting. I surmised that not too many others had shared an experience like mine.
The next morning, Linda called me at work. “He’s gone.”
“Gone?’ I asked, “how do you know?”
“Well, not a sound all night, and the owl was still on the stereo, when we woke up.
I was elated at the news and couldn’t wait to tell Norma, but I reminded myself it was only one day. I was anxious to see what new adventures she had in store for me now that the haunted house was no longer haunted.
I had asked Linda to see if there were any completion photos of the house right after it was built. I had sketched up a drawing of how I thought it looked when it was originally constructed. Now that I had séance experience, I was far less timid about dealing with the invisible guest. I arranged to meet at the house three days later on Saturday.
I did bring my Tarot cards but buoyed by my spirit communication, I elected to fly this one solo without cards, using only my intuition to make contact. As soon as we were all seated, I acknowledged the spirit with two raps on the table top. To my pleasure, there were two soft raps on the basement door.
Linda brought a small manila envelope to the table. She pinched the flies and opened the flap. Inside were four pictures. They were old and creased. Each picture was of a different side of the house taken shortly after the house was completed. I had folded my sketches and placed them in my pants pocket. I unfolded the papers and flattened them out on the table. Picking up one of the photos, I compared it to my sketch. Now, I’m no architect but the pictures were very similar. I looked at Linda, she placed a second photo on the table. Pointing to the first she said. “This is the original construction photo taken after the house was built but, there was a fire and the whole side and the front had to be rebuilt.” She handed me the second photo and it showed the house as it stood today. Again, three soft taps on the basement door. Pieces were starting to fall together.
I spoke out loud “The family would very much appreciate it if you would leave the home.” Ooopppsss, wrong thing to ask. Three loud booms on the furnace pipes. Norma was not correct about this spirit. What was I to do? I asked, Linda, did you find out any information about the owners?”
“I did, the owners were two brothers, they were both killed in a car accident some years ago. One of the brothers was married, shortly after their death the wife sold the house and moved to the West coast. I talked to the neighbor who moved in down the street only a few weeks before the wife moved. As she told me, the wife was moving to get treatment for cancer, she wasn’t expected to live very long.
“Did you hear that?” I said out loud. Justice is being served. Linda laughed. “The neighbor also said she had heard that the wife was cheating on the husband with some young guy that worked for them, as the story is told, the husband was violently angry and threatened to kill the young guy. Other neighbors who were close to the family think that the wife and the brother were actually involved. The husband and wife were the talk of the neighborhood with their loud fights. Shortly after a big blow-up, the brother moved and the young guy wasn’t seen again. This statement was followed by three loud booms on the basement pipes.
I felt like a private investigator, because I thought I had solved the “crime.”
I looked at Chad and Linda. They were staring at me in disbelief.
“Did you have an affair with the wife?” Silence. “Do you know who was having an affair with her?”
Three soft but solid raps on the furnace pipes. Did the husband think you were having an affair with his wife?” Again, the raps on the pipes.
“Was the brother having the affair?” Three raps. “So, one of them killed you, is that right?” Three raps.
“Was it the husband?” Silence. “Was it the brother?” Rap, Rap, Rap.
“Well, they are both dead, and the wife is dead or dying. Did she ever tell her husband the truth?” Silence.
“So, she could have saved you if she had spoken up, Is that correct?” Rap, Rap, Rap.
I leaned back in my chair. Turning to face my hosts.
“Well, there you have it. The poor guy was falsely accused and murdered because the wife wouldn’t come clean. Maybe now he can find some peace.” Rap, Rap. Rap.
I went home and called Norma.
“How long have you been doing this?” she asked.
“You know it’s only been about six months,” I answered.
Norma let out a low laugh, “Then we are going to have to move up your training. You did an outstanding job. Norma asked that I relay my experiences to our séance group at our next meeting. I surmised that not too many others had shared an experience like mine.
The next morning, Linda called me at work. “He’s gone.”
“Gone?’ I asked, “how do you know?”
“Well, not a sound all night, and the owl was still on the stereo, when we woke up.
I was elated at the news and couldn’t wait to tell Norma, but I reminded myself it was only one day. I was anxious to see what new adventures she had in store for me now that the haunted house was no longer haunted.
